A Glass of Wine
by nevermore199
Summary: Five Izumi x Meroko one-shots for 5drunkfics at Livejournal. Rated for language, alcohol, and sensuality. All are AU.
1. tipsy

**Finally, I have finished the first one. Aren't I super special awesome?**

**Okay. So, the five-chaptered story didn't work out, because I never got it to flow right. I may post excerpts from it over in my forum, but other than that, it's never seeing the light of day.**

**However! You can, instead, have some lovely one-shots. Five of them. For a lovely LJ community about drunk people.**

**All of these will contain drinking or mentions of such, and some will contain sensuality and language. This one has lots of sensuality. Be warned.**

**And the theme is in the chapter title. Isn't it pretty? Sure it is.**

**Okay…this author's note is getting ridiculously long. Heh. I'll shut up now. Enjoy!**

* * *

He blames the wine.

No, really. It's all the wine's fault.

After all, he reasons, if it wasn't for the wine, he and Meroko wouldn't be red-faced. Nor would they be kissing. Nor would they be drunk.

Izumi stops at that last word, ordering that it be rephrased. Because _he_ is not drunk. Meroko was very obviously drunk, but he wasn't. He'd had a little less alcohol, and he was much better at holding it than Meroko.

He is just a little tipsy.

And he's only making out with Meroko because he's selfish and he has desires just like anyone. And with Meroko as drunk as she is, there's a good chance she won't remember it in the morning.

He pushes his tongue practically down her throat, and she plasters herself against his chest and moans lightly, but it's not a moan of pain; it's one of _longing_.

"Izumi…" she murmurs when they break apart. A contented smile comes to her face.

He feels a little bit guilty, because while there's a good chance she won't remember this, there's also a chance that she will. And if she does remember it, what will she think? Will she be angry? Sad?

Hopeful?

All thoughts leave his head when her fingers brush the bottom of his shirt and start to lift it.

Without a moment's hesitation, he takes her hands and helps her lift it over his head. She stares at him, eyes both half-lidded and wondering.

Izumi smiles, and then leans in and nuzzles her neck gently. She squeals with delight. "I-Izumi—!"

His breathing is slow and measured as he trails kisses across the pale plains of her neck and toward her shoulder, pulling her shirt aside as he goes. She moans again, very softly.

"Mmm, Izumi," she whispers, her arms slowly lifting up and encircling him. "I love you."

Izumi pauses, his eyes widening with slight shock, and his head spins just a little.

Because Meroko has said those words to him many times before—

But it's been _years_. Years of nothing, of her saying she was over him.

"I love you so much…" she murmurs, her fingers tracing gently across his back. "So much…"

Izumi lifts his head up a little. His mouth opens, and words form in his mouth and almost come out.

_I love you, too._

Almost.

But they don't, because Izumi reminds himself that he isn't drunk. He's only a bit tipsy.

Meroko grabs his face in her hands and pulls him down to kiss him, and he closes his eyes and reminds himself that he isn't drunk, he's just tipsy, and he's only doing this for the pleasure of the moment. But, oddly enough, the words don't seem _quite_ as convincing in his mind now.

_I love you, too._

**

* * *

**

Silly Izumi. You know you love her.


	2. drunk

**Ah, hello, everyone! Here's our second one—and for a fun twist, it's told entirely in e-mails between Izumi and Meroko. This one really isn't so bad—the only thing to be wary of is some language, but it's not that bad.**

**The screen names of Izumi (sadisticxx) and Meroko (bunnymechan) come from a very fun RP I used to play in over at Livejournal. (Before it shut down and left me in misery…)**

**Okay, I think that's all. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sunday, July 6

10:27 AM

To: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

From: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

Izumi:

I HATE YOU.

With hatred,

Meroko

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:29 AM

To: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

From: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

Dear Meroko,

Oh? Then what was _last night_ all about?

Love,

Izumi

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:32 AM

To: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

From: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

Jerk:

Listen, mister. The _only_ reason that _anything_ happened was because you slipped sake into my water!

YOU FUCKING SPIKED MY DRINK! THAT IS **NOT COOL**, IZUMI! NOT COOL **AT ALL**!

I AM **SO** GOING TO KILL YOU!

Sharpening weapons as we type,

Meroko

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:34 AM

To: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

From: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

Dear Meroko,

It's your own fault for not noticing that there was alcohol in your drink. And I didn't do anything wrong. I just thought you needed a little help realizing that you're completely in love with me. And if getting you drunk was the way to go, then getting you drunk was the way to go.

Honestly, I don't know why you're so mad. You're much cuter when you're drunk. And you don't lie about your feelings for me.

Wishing you would just accept the truth,

Izumi

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:37 AM

To: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

From: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

Jerk:

You are a freaking idiot.

There are some countries where spiking someone's drink is illegal! Not to mention that it's a total violation of trust!

And I don't HAVE any feelings for you, aside from complete and utter **hatred**! If you think that spiking my drink is the way to get me to like you, you're more of an idiot than I previously thought.

(And quit putting 'dear' in front of my name when I'm yelling at you!)

Furiously,

Meroko

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:40 AM

To: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

From: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

Dearest Meroko,

You were drunk, Meroko. Well and truly drunk.

And you _kissed_ me.

On the lips.

Hmm…

Yes, I'd say you're in love with me.

Your future boyfriend,

Izumi

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:42 AM

To: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

From: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

Moron:

I HATE YOU.

The **only** reason I kissed you, as I've mentioned, was because **you fucking spiked my drink**.

A drunken kiss does not mean ANYTHING. It means that you are a selfish, manipulative jerk who will do anything to exploit people who have known you all their lives.

THAT is what it means.

And you are NEVER going to be my boyfriend. Only in your fucking dreams, Izumi.

—Meroko

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:45 AM

To: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

From: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

Dear Meroko,

Do you ever get tired of lying to yourself? It must get old. You have to know that you're in love with me.

I mean, I've seen you drunk before this, you know, and you've never kissed anyone before. You're not a horny drunk, Meroko, despite last night.

So, obviously, when you get drunk, I'm the only guy you want to kiss…Isn't that _interesting_?

The one you love,

Izumi

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:47 AM

To: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

From: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

Moron:

You're the one lying to yourself! I am not in love with you, and I never will be! We are just _friends_—although after last night, I don't know if we're even that!

Get it through your thick skull: I ONLY KISSED YOU BECAUSE I WAS DRUNK BECAUSE YOU SPIKED MY DRINK.

The one who DOES NOT love you,

Meroko

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:51 AM

To: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

From: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

Oh, Meroko,

You're so cute when you're angry. It's too bad we're writing e-mails—I would _kill_ to see the look on your face right now.

Oh, fine.

takes deep breath

I am deeply sorry that I spiked your drink with alcohol last night, and I'm sorry that I got you drunk in order to get you to kiss me. It was wrong of me. I apologize.

So are we still on for lunch today?

You know you love me,

Izumi

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:57 AM

To: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

From: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

…

……

………

You're buying my meals.

For the next week.

And I get to pick what we eat.

And I'm not paying anything—not even the tip. You're covering all of it, no matter what we eat.

And nowhere with alcohol.

…

Okay. Yes. I forgive you.

As long as you follow the above rules.

Pick me up in half an hour?

NOT love, but possibly like (as a _friend_, for God's sake),

Meroko

-

-

Sunday, July 6

10:59 AM

To: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

From: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

My darling Meroko,

You drive a hard bargain. It's not like I'm a millionaire, you know.

But, I suppose I'll take you up on it. If it will get you to stop glaring at me long enough to admit that you're in love with me.

I'll be there in half an hour.

Love,

Izumi

-

-

Sunday, July 6

11:00 AM

To: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

From: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

Okay, now that that's settled—

Hey, WAIT A MINUTE!

What do you _mean_, "If it will get me to admit I love you"?!

I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU!

**NOT. IN. LOVE. WITH. YOU.**

GET THE HELL OVER IT!

GAAAAHHHH,

Meroko

-

-

Sunday, July 6

11:00 AM

From: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

To: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

AUTO RESPONSE

Sorry, everyone—I'm temporarily unavailable. I have a date with Meroko.

: )

And since she'll probably kill me for that last sentence, I'm not sure when I'll check my box again. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Here's hoping that I survive,

Izumi

-

-

Sunday, July 6

11:01 AM

To: sadisticxx (Izumi Lio)

From: bunny-me-chan (Meroko Yui)

Izumi:

GODDAMN IT, **IZUMI**!

YOU ARE **SO FREAKING DEAD**!

—Meroko

**

* * *

**

Aw, don't kill him, Meroko. If Izumi dies, you two can't be together forever…


	3. forget

**More Izumi x Meroko goodness. Fun fun.**

**This one…huh. Really no warnings to speak of, unless you despise alcohol with all your heart and soul. Kind of inspired by "If I Never See Your Face Again" by Maroon 5. Enjoy?**

* * *

Meroko wasn't a regular customer at Hanamashi Bar. She loved dancing as much as the next person, and alcohol was fine and dandy and whatever, but when it came right down to it, bars were not her favorite places to be.

No, Meroko only came to Hanamashi when she was having a crappy day and she needed to get nice and drunk to forget the pain. Only when life was sucking majorly.

And tonight, it was.

"I'm going to fucking kill him," she muttered under her breath as she stalked to the counter and sat down on one of the revolving stools. "I'm going to slit his stomach open and insert hot coals into it. And then I'm going to rip out his heart and tear it apart with his bare hands. And _then_, if he's still alive, I'm going to hire a group of angry hobos to rip him limb from limb."

"Forgiveness is divine," a voice commented smoothly from behind the counter.

Meroko looked up. A blonde-haired man with pale skin and amber eyes was staring at her. Obviously a bartender.

"Not for what _he_ did," Meroko said darkly.

"I heard some of those. You must really be ticked off at this guy. What did he do, break up with you?"

"No," Meroko said firmly. "_I_ broke up with _him_."

The man blinked. "I…see. And how is he at fault?"

"It's all his fault!" Meroko wailed.

"Sure it is. Can I get you something to drink?"

Meroko let out an exasperated sigh. "Glass of sake," she mumbled.

The man nodded and walked off, and while Meroko waited, she glared out at the dance floor. Of course, they were all couples. Well, guys and girls dancing together—you really couldn't tell who was and wasn't a couple at a bar—but _still_! Was Meroko the only single person here? Why did everyone have a significant other but her?

_You had a significant other,_ a voice reminded Meroko. _Until about thirty minutes ago._

Just what Meroko needed—voices in her head reminding her how much her life _sucked_.

"Here's your drink," the bartender said, pushing a tall glass of sake in front of Meroko. "Now, then—explain why you're mad at your boyfriend when you broke up with him."

"You wanna know why I'm mad?" Meroko snatched the glass and drained the entire thing in one long drink. "I'll _tell_ you! Because Takuto freaking Kira has liked Mitsuki Koyama for a whole month!"

"Takuto Kira? That singer?"

"_Yes_! Today I overheard him talking to his stupid coworker, and he was talking about how he was planning on breaking up with me, because he'd liked _her_ for the last month! _What the freaking hell_!"

"You might want to quiet down. People are staring."

Meroko shot a vicious glare in some random direction. She caught sight of a few people looking away, clearly thinking something along the lines of _She's crazy._

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?" she demanded, turning back to the bartender. "He's liked someone else for the last _month_ and didn't tell me!"

"What would you do if it were you? You wouldn't exactly be keen to tell him, 'Oh, I'm sorry, boyfriend, but I like someone else,' would you?"

Meroko thought about that for a minute. "Well…I guess not," she admitted finally, her voice small.

"So you broke up with him after you found out?"

"Yeah…"

"Well. Could be worse."

Meroko snorted. "Hard to imagine. Can I get another drink?"

"Sure." The man took the glass, went off, and filled it up quickly.

"Thanks," Meroko muttered.

"You know what I just realized?" The man smiled faintly. "I'm standing here listening to you pour out your soul, and neither of us has a clue who the other is."

Meroko couldn't help it—she laughed. It sounded so funny the way he put it. "I'm Meroko Yui," she said.

"Izumi Lio."

"Nice to meet you."

"You a regular?"

Meroko took a sip from her drink. "Only when life sucks."

"So you are a regular?"

Meroko laughed again. "No. I only come when I'm having a crappy day and I need to get drunk to forget about it."

Izumi smiled. "And is your day getting any better?"

Meroko raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to flirt with me?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Meroko sighed. "You're unbelievable."

"I've been told before."

"I bet you have."

"So, really. Tell me. Is your day getting better?"

Meroko's eyes narrowed. "Yes, actually. But _not_ because of you. It's only because there's no possible way my day could get worse."

"Right."

"You'd better not be laughing at me."

"Not at all."

Meroko rolled her eyes and shoved her empty glass toward him. "Whatever. Get me another drink."

"You drink much more, and you're going to have trouble getting home," Izumi commented, picking up the glass.

"One more glass won't kill me."

"That's what they all say." But Izumi went off and refilled the glass and brought it back anyway. "I hope you have a phone and a friend with a car."

"I have a phone."

"You probably shouldn't drink that, then."

Meroko shrugged and drank it anyway.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bad listener?"

"Once or twice."

"Well, it's true."

"Don't you have other customers to bother?"

Izumi shrugged. "I'm not the only bartender here. And you're fun to talk to."

"You're just saying that," Meroko accused.

"No, really." Izumi smiled wryly. "This is the most fun I've had on the job in a long while."

"I thought _I_ was the one getting drunk."

"Are you drunk?"

"Not quite." Meroko put a hand to her forehead. "I think I'm getting there, though."

"Why's that?"

"Because I really appreciate you saying that you like talking to me."

"God, you _are_ drunk," Izumi said sarcastically.

Meroko laughed. "Looks like it."

"If that's the case…"

Meroko started when Izumi's hand landed on her neck. "What—?"

"If you're really drunk, you probably won't remember this in the morning," Izumi said quietly.

And then he closed his eyes and leaned in, and the two of them were kissing over the counter, with lights and music pulsing all around.

When they broke apart, Meroko's face was flushed. "Izumi—"

Izumi smirked. "Although I really hope you're _not_ drunk, because I'd hate to think that that went to waste."

"Um—"

"Anyway…" Izumi pulled a pen and a piece of paper out of his pocket and wrote something down, ignoring Meroko's wide-eyed stare. "I should probably go. But if you ever get bored…"

He handed the slip of paper to Meroko, who looked down at it. A phone number.

"Don't forget about me," Izumi said lightly. He turned away and walked off, leaving Meroko to stare at his back, stunned, feeling as though time had stopped.

* * *

A few days later, Izumi's phone rang.

"Hello?" he said.

"Izumi?"

Izumi smiled. "Meroko."

"That night…"

"Yes?"

"I don't think I was drunk after all."

"Oh?" Izumi's smile widened. "And why's that?"

"I remember last night quite well. And I think we should do it again sometime."

Izumi chuckled. "I work every night except Sunday."

**

* * *

**

Hmm…I don't think the ending was all that good. I'm just not sure…


	4. confession

**You know what? I know that hardly anyone is reading this.**

**You know what else? I don't care.**

**:D**

* * *

The first thing Meroko noticed upon waking up was that she had a really horrible headache.

_Oh my _God_, I feel awful…_ she thought, groaning as she pushed her groggy eyes open.

The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't looking at her ceiling.

She was looking at _someone else's_ ceiling.

A very _specific_ someone else's ceiling.

Meroko's eyes went wide with horror.

_Oh, crap…Don't tell me…_

Very slowly, she turned her head. Sleeping next to her in the bed that was not hers was an _extremely_ familiar blonde-haired guy.

Izumi.

_Aw, shit._ Meroko winced. _Not good, not good, _not good_._

Carefully, so as not to wake Izumi, Meroko sat up and looked around the room (_his_ room). Their clothes were strewn all over the floor. Along with a couple of empty sake bottles.

Meroko's memory of the previous night wasn't completely clear, but she knew exactly what had happened.

Izumi had pestered her until she had come to his apartment. And then they had gotten drunk on sake and ended up having sex.

Again.

_Damn it._

Sighing quietly, Meroko got out of bed and began fishing her clothes from the floor. She kept glancing nervously at Izumi, afraid that he would wake up, but he slept on.

She couldn't believe that she had let this happen _again_. They weren't even dating! It was _not_ proper or right for two people to have sex when they weren't dating.

But they _had_ dated—once, for nearly three years. Izumi had ended it pretty coldly, and Meroko had treated him badly for a while after. It had been nearly a year since then.

And lately, Izumi had been acting like he _really_ wanted her back.

And ever since he had started acting like he wanted her back, a pattern had entered Meroko's life.

Every few evenings, Izumi would come over to her apartment (and she had _no idea_ where he had gotten the address, because she had moved after their breakup and he had to have been a freaking stalker to find out where she lived) and basically flirt the hell out of her. He would beg and plead with her to come to his apartment, and eventually she would relent just to shut him up.

And then, somehow, copious amounts of sake would be pulled out, and Izumi and Meroko would start drinking. And then they would get drunk.

And then they would end up in Izumi's bed.

For the umpteenth time.

And if Meroko had had any common sense, she would have left the city. Or maybe the country. She wouldn't have let herself be persuaded time and again to come to Izumi's apartment. She would have locked him out every single time he showed up at her door. She knew that leading him on like this was wrong, and sometimes she felt really bad about it.

And yet _every single time_, she ended up having sex with him.

Because secretly (or maybe it wasn't a secret, what with all the sleeping around they did), Meroko was still in love with Izumi. Absolutely, completely, head-over-heels in love. She still was. She always had been.

But even though she loved him with everything she had, she didn't trust him. Not one bit. The reason she treated him with scorn by day was because she had pride and common sense. He had played with her heart like it was a toy; he had treated her like _crap_ and there was _no way_ she was going to come crawling back into a relationship with him after what he'd done.

_So I don't want to be in a relationship with him, but I really love him and I have sex with him every couple of nights. Does that make me a slut?_

Fully dressed, Meroko headed resolutely for the door, like she'd done every other time this happened. She looked back, but not at Izumi—at the clock on his bedside table…

…Which said that she had ten minutes to get to work before she was late.

_Damn it, damn it, _damn it_._

One foot went out the doorway to the bedroom.

And then she stopped. Her eyes were unwillingly drawn to Izumi's sleeping face. For once in his life, he looked innocent, unguarded, and completely at ease.

_Izumi…_

Despite the fact that she really hated him sometimes, she really did love him. When he wasn't being a jerk, anyway. He could be sweet and funny and really nice when he tried. And on a deeper level, she liked the fact that _he_ was chasing after _her_ for a change.

(And he was good in bed. _Very_ good in bed, as a matter of fact, but that wasn't the reason she was in love with him. No, really. It was just a nice perk.)

A smile tugged at the corners of Meroko's lips. _Oh, Izumi._

"I love you," she mouthed silently.

And then she turned and walked out of the room.

_I'm sorry, Izumi. I do love you, but I'm just not ready to trust you again._

_But maybe…maybe someday I will be._

As she drove to work, the smile still lingered on her face.

_And then maybe we can have sex without me feeling guilty about it afterwards._

Despite herself, she laughed.

**

* * *

**

Ah, Me-chan. Silly, silly. Of course you love him.


	5. mistake

**And now, the final installment. I feel kind of bad, ending it with a really angsty one. But that's just how it went…**

* * *

She's gone now.

Izumi sits on his couch every night, drinking bottle after bottle of alcohol until his mind feels fuzzy and his vision spins wildly, and the pain on his body matches the pain in his heart. He throws up a lot afterwards, but he doesn't care.

He doesn't care about anything, now that she's gone.

_Meroko._

And the horrible thing is, it's _his fault_. His fault.

_Meroko…_

She had been chasing him for years and years. Constantly running after him, breathless and eager, shouting that she loved him. Always waiting for his response, paused in anticipation of something never to come.

She had loved him so much.

And time and time again, he had pushed her away with cold words and glares, saying that he would never love her.

_Meroko, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize, did I? I didn't realize…_

And finally, on a day in the street, when the rain fell like the tears from her eyes, he had finally blown up at her.

Before she had run off sobbing, she had shouted out that she was sorry.

That she was _sorry_.

I'm_ the one who should be apologizing to _you_, Meroko…It was all my fault…_

Afterwards, he had realized what a horrible thing he'd done. What a wonderful person Meroko was. And how he had truly loved her all along.

_I love you, Meroko. I love you…_

He had been so afraid of a relationship—of love—that he had pushed away the only person in the world who had ever really loved him. He had hurt her in a way that could never be forgiven.

And now she's gone.

_Meroko…_

And so Izumi sits alone every night, drowning his pain in alcohol, trying so desperately to forget the person he loves so much—who once loved him.

Wishing that he wasn't such an idiot. That he didn't make the worst mistake of his life.

That the one he loves will come back.

But he can't wish away his mistake. He can get drunk as many times as he wants to, but in the end, he can never destroy the image of the sobbing Meroko that burns in his mind's eye; nor can he destroy the mistake he's made, because it will always live with him, no matter how hard he wishes it away.

**

* * *

**

And now we're finished. Well...thanks to the one person who favorited this, and to the very few people who read it.

**Yeah. Later, all. Check out Some Small Part of Love if you want any more Izumi x Meroko love.**


End file.
